Washing-machine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. H. WI'ESTNER. WASHING MACHINE.

, Patented Apr. 9, 1895.

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STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. WIESTNER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 537,330, dated April 9, 1895.

Application filed October 23,1894. Serial No. 526, No m del.

To all whom it may concern.-

the invention, such as will enable others' skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in washing machines of that class which employ one or more rotary rollers in connection with a rubbing bed or cradle; and the object that I have in view is to provide a machine which will run easily, with minimum effort 'by the operator, to rub and squeeze the fabrics and thereby thoroughly cleanse the same without tearing and otherwise injuring them.

With these ends in view, my invention consists'in the combination of' devices, and in the novel construction and organization of parts,

which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand my invention, I have illustrated it in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which,-

Figure 1 is a plan view of my washing machine. Fig.-2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on the plane indicated by the dotted line 0c-x of Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a detail view looking at one end of the reciprocating side plates or bars, the rubbing bed or cradle, and the yielding suspension devices by which said cradle is sustained'within the metallic side plates or bars. Fig. 5 is a side elevation, looking at one of the reciprocating metallic side plates or bars to illustrate the eccentrics of the rollers which play in the collars of said plates or bars, the shafts of the rollers being shown in section. Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view 'on the plane indicated by the dotted line yy of Fig. 1. Figs. 7 and 8 are details in front elevation and edge view, respectively, of one of the eccentrics for a roller, and Fig. 9 is a de- 'tail end elevation of one of the rollers.

Like letters of reference denote correspondreferring to which? A designates the suds-box which is of any suitable shape and form. This suds-box is held at the proper height by the legs a and in the side walls of this box are formed the four vertical recesses a, a a, ad, which extend a suitable distance into the walls from the top edge thereof, through which top edge the upper ends of the recesses open. Two of the recesses a, a are formed in each side wall of the suds box, at a proper distance from one another to accommodate the two rollers, presently referred to, and the recesses a, a, in opposite side walls are in line with each other transversely across the suds box, and the other recesses 0. a are similarly disposed in relation to each other. The machine herein shown and described is constructed to provide for the employment of two rollers, and the recesses a, a are arranged to accommodate the two rollers; but the number of rollers employed may be increased, in which event the suds box is constructed with a correspondingly increased number of recesses.

To the side walls of the suds box are secured be'aringsb, b, of any approved construction, and the four bearings for the two rollers are all arranged in the same horizontal plane, the pair of bearings for each roller being ar- 8o ranged to align with each other across the suds box and with the corresponding vertical recesses a, or a These bearings accommodate the journals of the rollers O, D, and these rollers are supported by peculiar means 8 5 to enable them to be rotated on their axes from a common driving mechanismand'to travel in paths eccentric to their axes and cause the rollers to approach toward and recede from the rubbing bed or cradle, so that 90 as oneroller is depressed into contact with the rubbing bed or cradle the other roller will be raised away from the cradle, and vice versa, whereby the machine is made to run steadily and easily. Each roller 0, D, is 9 5 equipped at each end with the eccentric plate and journal shown in Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings. This device F is made in a'single piece of 7 metal, preferably by casting, and it consists of the fiat face plate f, the eccentric too 9 and the journal h. The eccentric protrudes laterally beyond the plane of the face plate f and it is arranged eccentrically in relation thereto, and the journal h is eccentric to the eccentric hub g and to the face plate, said journal extending asuitable distance beyond the eccentric and face plate to pass clear through the side walls of the suds box, so as to rest in the hearing I), and to receive at one side of the suds box the driving pinion by which the rollers are caused to travel in eccentric paths relative to the rubbing bed. The face plates for each roller are secured to the ends of the roller by any suitable means and so that the journals at opposite ends of the roller are in line with each other.

By inspection of Figs. 3 and5 of the drawings, it will be noted that the rollers, C, D, occupy reverse positions with relation to the rubbing bed, that is, one roller 0 is raised away from the bed while the other roller D is lowered toward the bed, during a part of the revolutions of said rollers; and to enable these rollers to have the alternate motion'desired, the face plates for "one roller, as O, are secured to the ends thereof so that the eccentrics, g, andjournals 71 of the roller 0 occupy a reverse position to the eccentrics and journals of the face plates onthe ends of the other roller D, or in other words, the eccentricsand journals of the two rollers are placed reversely to each other, whereby one roller is caused to lie on the up oenterwhile the other roller is on the down center,-as shown.

To the outside of one side wall of the suds box is secured a horizontal frame I, which extendsacross the ends of the journals which protrude through that side wall of the box, and in this frame is journaled adriving shaft J which has its inner end fitted in a bearingi fastened to the suds box between the slots a, a The outer end of this shaft J is equipped with a balance wheel J having the crank handle J for its convenient rotation, and to this shaft is also secured the master gearj which meshes with the gears j',j fastened to the protruding ends of the journals on the two rollers, whereby the drive mechanism serves to rotate the rollers in opposite directions at one and the same time.

Within the suds box arearranged the metallic longitudinal carriers formed by the side plates K, L, and from these longitudinal carriers is suspended the cradle M. These plates lie close to the side walls of the suds box, and they extend nearly the full depth of the suds box, below the lower horizontal part of the cradle, the latter being suspended between the carriers or plates and terminatingabove the lower edges thereof, so that the cradle will not descend to the bottom of the suds box and have the fabrics therein immersed in the settlings and refuse at the bottom of the suds box. The carriersor plates K, L, are designed to be given a reciprocating motion both horizontally and vertically within the suds box by the eccentrics g on the rollers C, D, and to this end, the carriers or plates are provided with openings, and with the collars 7r, Z, in which collars the eccentrics are snugly fitted to move the side plates when the rollers are turned. The collars or beatings 7r, Z, for the eccentrics are each cast in a single piece with radial lugs, and when the collar is applied laterally to the side plate, in line with the opening. therein, it is riveted or otherwise made fast to the side plate.

The cradle or bed M consists of two side bars m, m, and a series of cross slats or bars m which are rigidly fastened at their ends to the side bars m in any preferred way. The side bars m have the horizontal part m the upwardly curved ends m and the straight terminals m, and to the parts m m the cross slats are fastened, so that the cradle has the straight flat bottom and the upwardly extending ends.

The cradle is arranged between the plates,

audit is carried by and movable with said plates to partake of horizontal and vertical reciprocating play therewith in the suds box. Topermit the cradle to yield or give under the pressure of the rollers, and the fabrics under treatment in the machine, and to adapt the cradle to be adjusted to suit different fabrics, I make the suspending means between the carriers or plates K,L, and the cradle with yielding tension devices and with vertical adjusting heads on the suspending devices. To the carriers or plates, at the corners thereof, are rigidly secured the vertical hangers O, O, which extend a suitable distance above the plates and have the lateral beaks 0, to which are connected the upp'er ends of the vertical rods P, which pass down through openings in the-straight extremities m of the side bars m forming a part of the cradle or bed, and on these vertical rods Pare fitted the coiled springs Q, Q.

Thecoiled springs Q, Q, and the rods I, P, are passed through the lugs q, g, which are provided on the ends of the rubbing bed below the bearing ends m thereof, and these lugs g operate to hold the rods and springs in their proper vertical positions relative to the bed, or in other words, the lugs q prevent displacementof the rods away from the bed, while at the same time the rods P are free to play freely through the lugs. The upper ends of the springs Q, Q, bear against the bearing ends m" on the side bars of the bed,

and the lower ends of the springs bear against the heads, 19, at the lower ends of the rods P. These spring controlled rods P serve to yieldingly sustain the cradle or bed between the carrying plates; and, to enable the cradle to be adjusted vertically, each rod P is provided with a head 1) at its upper end, said head 19' having a series of apertures 19, in either one of which the beak 0 of the hanger O is-adapted to be fitted.

The rollersG, D, are each made in the form shown by Figs. 3 and 9 of the drawings. Each roller preferably consists of the body q having the faces q thereof disposed at an angle to each roller, and in the surfaces of the roller-body are formed longitudinal channels that provide the longitudinal corrugasecured to two of the faces. q thereof and at diamterically opposite lines, and the slatsr, 'r' are caused, during each complete rotation of the roller in the eccentric path relative to the cradle or bed, to approach the cradle or bed and rub the fabrics thereon.

This being the construction of my improved vwashing machine, the operation maybe described as follows: The fabrics to be washed are placed on the cradle or bed, water is supplied to the suds-box, and the crank handle is grasped and turned to rotate the power shaft, which in turn operates to drivethe pinions and rollers C, D, in opposite directions. As these rollers are rotated, the eccentrics g, g, assume the same relative position both on the down and up stroke relative to the centers of rotation of the journals h,'as shown by Figs. 4 and 5, but the rollers O, D, themselves occupy reverse positions with relation to the bed or cradle, on either the down or up stroke, due to the fact that the face plates f, f, are secured to the ends of the two rollers in the reverse position, that is to say, as shown by Fig. 3, the roller D is lowered toward the bed and the roller 0 raised above the bed when the eccentrics are below the centers of. rotation of journals h, but when the rollers have made a half turn or are reversed, the positions of the rollers are changed so that when the eccentrics are on the top center or above the centers of rotation, the roller 0 is lowered toward the bed and roller D is raised above or away from the bed. During these rotations of the two rollers in the eccentric paths relative to the bed, thecradle or bed itself is given a reciprocating motion both longitudinally and vertically in the suds box due to the fact that the cams or eccentrics g, g, play or ride in the bearings of the carriers or plates K, L, which are supported by the rollers and their eccentrics, and by thus giving a reciprocating motion to the bed or cradle and rotating the rollers in eccentric paths relative to the cradle I produce a machine which will thoroughly rub and cleanse the fabrics and at the same time run easily and smoothly because the rollers'balance each other in their action on the carriers or plates which sustain the cradle or bed. By the operation of the rollers and reciprocation of the bed when the crank handle is turned in one direction, the clothes are carried along the bottom of the bed or cradle, are opened out by the slats on the rollers, and are subjected to a rubbing cleansingthe fabrics. By having the plates or carriers K, L, extend some distance below the bed or cradle, the cradle is prevented from moving to such a depth as to immerse fabrics therein in the settlings or dirty water at the bottom of the suds box.

I am aware that changes and alterations in the form and proportionof parts and in the details of construction of the mechanism herein shown and described as an embodiment of my invention can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention, and I therefore reserve the right to make such modifications as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by- Letters Patent, is-

1. In a washing machine, the combination with a suds box, of rollers providedwith eccentrics, the longitudinal carriers having collars or bearings which receive said eccentrics, and a cradle supported by said longitudinal carriers, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a washing machine, the combination with a suds box, the rollers, and a driving mechanism for said rollers, of the longitudinal carriers connected with said rollers to be reciprocated thereby, and a cradle or bed yielrlingly suspended from said carriers, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In a washing machine, the combination with a suds box, and the rollers, of longitudinal carriers arranged near the sides of the suds-box, the spring-controlled suspensionrods connected to said carriers, and a cradle or bed arranged within the carriers and connected to the suspension rods, for the purposes described, substantially as set forth.

4. In a washing machine, the combination with a suds box, the rollers, and a driving mechanism therefor, of the longitudinal oarriers connected with said rollers to be reciprocated thereby and consisting of the plates arranged vertically and longitudinally within the suds box, the cradle or bed arranged between the carriers or plates, above the lower edges thereof, the hangers rigid with said carriers, the suspension rods connected to the cradle and having, at their upper ends, the heads which are adjustably connected to the hangers and springs fitted on the rods and bearing upon the cradle or bed, substantially as described.

5. In a washing machine, the combination with a suds box having the bearings b, the rollers provided with the eccentrics g and the journals which arefitted in said bearings, the power shaft carrying a master gear which meshes with gears on the journals of said rollers, the longitudinal plates or carriers having the collars which receive the eccentrics of the rollers, and a cradle or bed suspended from said carriers and movable therewith, substantially as described.

6. In a washing machine, the combination with a suds box, a driving shaft, and acradle or bed, of rollers each having a face plate provided with eccentric trunnions which are journaled in bearings on the suds-box, and gearing between said driving shaft and the roller trunnions,substantially asand for the purposes described.

7. In a washing machine, the'combination with a suds box, and a driving mechanism,of rollers :geared to the driving mechanism and supported by eccentric journals to travel in opposite eccentric paths relative to a cradle or bed, anda reciprocating bed or cradle suspended within the suds box by means substantially as described which impart thereto a horizontal and vertical reciprocating play relative to the rollers, as set forth.

JOHN II. WIESTNER.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL WOLSTENHOLME,

EDWIN STEARNE. 

